Bataan

My interest in the Bataan Death March came from being a participant in the Bataan Memorial Death March (BMDM). I learned about the BMDM due to a press release about the former governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson. BMDM wasn't mentioned by name, but enough details were provided that I tracked it down via a web search.

I attended my first BMDM in 2010. The march is always held on a Sunday so that the day before they can have speakers. Back then, the speakers were former soldiers who had endured the actual Death March in the Philippines. My friend and I looked forward to hearing them speak, but we didn't realize that the rooms where the vets were speaking would fill up, so we got there too late and were shut out.

Disappointed, we left the building where the vets were speaking and headed over to the museum. Unbeknownst to us, one of the vets was an artist and not only were they displaying his artwork in the museum, but he was speaking there as well. There was room. We were blessed to hear Ben Steele talk.